Apparatus for folding and pressing garment parts



Nov. 18, 1969 A. F. DENAULT ET AL 3,478,939

APPARATUS FOR FOLDING AND PRESSING GARMENT PARTS Filed Oct. 15, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I 25 35 ll 2| /36 3O 2O l--L-/- E i g l 21:! 33%; 1 O Q l INVENTORS Y ALBERT P. DENAULT LAWRENCE H. GRUBER KENNETH o. MORTON NOV. 18, 1969 DENAULT ET AL 3,478,939

APPARATUS FOR FOLDING AND PRESSING GARMENT PARTS Filed Oct. 15, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet- 2 37 39 c, 40 g E? 38 FIG. 4b

37 FIG. 3b

INVENTORS ALBERT R DENAULT 5 LAWRENCE H. GRUBER KENNETH o. MQRTON NOV. 18, 1969 P. DENAULT ET AL 3,478,939

APPARATUS FOR FOLDING AND PRESSING GARMENT PARTS \63 FIG.6

INVENTORS ALBERT P. DENAULT LAWRENCE H.GRUBER KENNETH O. MORTON United States Patent 3,478,939 APPARATUS FOR FOLDING AND PRESSING GARMENT PARTS Albert P. Denault, Troy, N.Y., Lawrence H. Gruber, Sinking Spring, Pa., and Kenneth O. Morton, Troy, N.Y., assignors to Clnett, Peabody & Co., Inc., Troy, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 15, 1968, Ser. No. 767,646 Int. Cl. A41h 33/00 US. Cl. 223--38 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Improved apparatus for forming fabric pieces such as garment parts, including a movable fence located in the press bed which cooperates with an upper die plate for folding and which is pushed down to the level of the bed surface during pressing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The field to which this invention relates is the forming of fabric pieces by folding and pressing. In the forming of pieces such as, for example, garment parts there is a need for accurate shaping to assure the same dimensions on each part. Accurate dimensions are particularly important in present day manufacturing processes where stitching is automated, because allowances for inaccuracies which might be made by a seamstress cannot be readily made.

It is known to press garment parts using a holding arrangement which cooperates with movable folders that fold the part being held. In these machines, the folders bend a portion of the workpiece over a thin metal plate after which the piece is pressed. It is difficult with these devices to obtain uniform fold, particularly in a shape such as a pocket where acute angles are involved. The difficulty arises because different materials have differing ability to be folded over sharply, and with present devices there is a tendency of the material to be swaged, that is, the crease forms beyond the outer edges of the folder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a means for overcoming various disadvantages found in prior art devices. In the invention, the press bed is equipped with a fence which is movable u and down so that it may either protrude above the level of the bed or be fiat and level with the surface of the bed. The extended fence forms a well in the press bed in exactly the shape of the finished piece. An upper die is provided to cooperate with the well, and with folders, to hold firmly the workpiece in the well formed by the press bed and the fence during the folding and pressing. Because the fence assists in defining the desired shape of the finished piece, uniformity is achieved.

A feature of the present invention is that it retains in essence, the flat bed which is needed for good creasing and requires no change in folders or dies of present machines. A bed incorporating the movable fence of the present invention may be readily inserted in the present machines.

To accomplish the objects of the present invention, the invention comprises the features hereinafter described and particularly set out in the claims, the description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments. These embodiments are set out to show some of the many ways in which the principles of the present invention may be employed.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a plan view of an apparatus constructed according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is similar to FIGURE 1 except that the superstructure and folder bars have been removed;

FIGURES 3a, 3b, 4a and 4b are details of the fence construction;

FIGURE 5 is a schematic side view of a folding and pressing apparatus; and

FIGURES 6 and 7 are views of a collapsible die arrangement.

The figures are to be understood to be more or less of a diagrammatic character for the purposes of illustration. Like characters identify the various elements in the several views.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGURE 1 is a view of an apparatus incorporating the instant invention. The apparatus includes an upper pressing die assembly 10 and a lower pressing die formed by the press bed 11. The bed is carried by a table 12 which carries also a folder arrangement designated generally as 13 and an air cylinder 14 to which the upper die assembly is hingedly attached. The cylinder 14 allows the upper die to move toward and away from the press bed 11.

The folder arrangement includes four folder bars 15, 16, 17 and 18. The folder bar carry four folders designated 19, 20, 21 and 22, which are rigidly attached to the folder bars. Each folder bar is operated by motion of the respective eccentric wheels 25, 26, 27 and 28. A slot and key arrangement serves to stabilize the movement of the folder bars. As the wheels rotate, the respective adjacent bars are moved toward each other and are simultaneously moved toward the well area 30.

Frames 31 and 32 are utilized to hold down the folder bars. An additional folder 33 is actuated by air cylinder 34. Folder 33 serves to form the pocket top flap.

The particular apparatus shown in the figure is intended for use in forming shirt pockets; however, it will be readily appreciated that a similar apparatus could be utilized for operation on many different shapes, for example, shirt cuffs, by changing the die shape and the folder arrangement.

FIGURE 2 is a view showing the bed with the folder bars removed. Press bed 11 is located within an opening 35 in the table. The bed is movable up and down (see FIGURE 5). Means (not shown) are provided for heating the press bed.

FIGURES 3a, 3b, 4a and 4b show a fence 36 located in the press bed. The fence rides in a slot 37 formed in the press bed and is free to move up and down in the slot. The fence is attached to the bed by bolts 38 which allow sliding motion of the fence. The bolt heads 39 serve as a stop. Each bolt is typically associated with a spring 40 which maintains an upward force on the fence so that the fence will protrude above the surface of the press bed unless a counter-force is applied, as during the pressing operation, to push the fence into the plane of the bed. FIGURES 3a and 4a show the fence extended. FIGURES 3b and 4b show the fence as it would appear during pressing.

FIGURE 1- shows the location and shape of the fence which forms the well 30 with the contour of a finished pocket.

The principles of the apparatus may be better understood from a discussion of its operation. At the start of the operation, the top die 10 is in an up position. The workpiece is laid flat in the well with some material lying outside the well. Ordinarily a piece of paper cut to the size of the workpiece is laid under the workpiece and is formed and pressed along with the workpiece. The

paper assists in retaining the final creases of the pocket material in the shape of a pocket and also provides a constant and non-varying surface over which the folder faces actuate, thereby eliminating any need for adjustments to the folders by virtue of differing fabrics or differing fabric finishes. Also due to the resistance of paper to pucker or form cusps, when urged to bend on itself as in forming the turned back margins of the workpiece, a flat fold results along the folded back portions of the pocket.

FIGURE 5 shows the position of the top die assembly prior to the forming of the workpiece. The top die assembly includes a sub plate assembly 50. The sub plate assembly is typically formed from individual sub plates which can be extended to the shape of the pocket and retracted in upon each other for pressing and for removal of the finished piece. Collapsible die arrangements are widely used and well known in the prior art. One arrangement will be more fully described herein. Typically an air cyclinder and cam arrangement may be used. To begin the folding operation, air cylinder 14 extends its piston and causes the top die movable sub plates to come down against the press bed surface 11b. As soon as the sub plate assembly is down, air cylinder 61 is actuated, causing the individual sub plates to extend. At this point in the operation, the fence is protruding above the surface of the press bed so that the extending sub plates push the workpiece against the fence and hold it securely in the bottom of the well. The sub plate assembly is so constructed that the various folds can be made. That is, the back face 52 of the respective plates is unobstructed sufficiently about the edges to allow the folders to fold the workpiece over the plates when the plates are extended.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the piston 34 extends and urges folder 33 toward the well to form the pocket flap and then folders 19, 20, 21 and 22 fold the remaining protruding portions of the workpiece over and against the back face of the sub plates.

Again referring to FIGURE 5, the next part of the operation is the raising of the press bed 11 by, for example, a piston 55 or any suitable means. When the bed goes up, the folded workpiece is pressed against the folders and the extended top die sub plates. After a predetermined time, the bed is dropped. Next the sub plates are retracted so as to be clear of the folded portions of the pocket and the folder. The bed raises a second time to make the final press against the extended folders. After the final pressing step, the folders are withdrawn,

the top die assembly is raised and the pocket is removed from the top die by the operator.

FIGURES 6 and 7 show top plate which is part of the top die assembly and which is attached to cylinder 61 through pin 62. Cam blocks 63 engage cam path followers 64a, 64b, 64c and 64d. The followers are connected through suitable bracket means to four die sub plates 59a, 50b, 50c and 50d. When piston 65 of cylinder 61 extends, top plate 60 rotates about pin 66, causing the followers to move concentrically toward pin 66. Since each follower is connected to a respective sub plate, the four sub plates will move in a similar fashion to collapse the die assembly. Plate is a stationary plate.

FIGURE 7 shows the die assembly collapsed.

FIGURE 6 shows the die assembly extended.

During each pressing operation, the fence is pushed into its slot so that the press bed can be pushed firmly against the die plate and the folders. The wall formed by the fence assists in forming even creases and assures that the desired amount of overlap is created on each pocket fold. Since the creased edge is held firmly between the fence and the upper die sub plates while the folders form the folds and flaps, the piece is held in position until the preliminary crease is made. The swaging ecect is thus substantially eliminated. This can be appreciated when it is realized that the gripping action between the sub plates and the inner surface of the fence holds the workpiece until the press bed urges the pocket against the upper die and the folders. At that point, the fence is retracted into the bed, and the upper faces of the fence are above the face 52 by an amount equal to the thickness of the folded-over material in the well. It can be appreciated that the retractable fence can adjust for different thicknesses of material and never interferes with the pressing. A sharp crease can always be formed without the wall interfering with the pressing action.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific apparatus, it will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that a Wide variety of changes may be made without departing from the scope of this invention. For instance, certain features of the apparatus may beused independently of others and equivalents may be substituted for apparatus elements, all within the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for folding and pressing a workpiece into a garment part or the like, the apparatus comprising in combination: a press bed movable up and down and defining a slot in the bed, the slot being so located as to form a work area in the shape of the part; a retractable fence keyed in the slot and adapted to move up and down within the slot; spring means engaging the fence and the bed to extend the fence above the top surface of the bed and said means allowing the fence to seat with its top surface generally level with the adjacent bed surface when an external force is applied to the fence; upper die means movable toward and away from the bed and engageable with the fence; folders cooperating with said die means and said fence to fold the workpiece; and means for moving the bed against the folders and the upper die means to press the workpiece, whereby said retractable fence is urged generally into the top surface of the bed so that the bed may be pushed firmly against the workpiece, the portion of the fence remaining extended during pressing depending on the thickness of the material being pressed.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the die means includes plates sufficiently collapsible in upon themselves to clear the folded portion of the workpiece.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said die means is so constructed and arranged as to descend against the bed in a collapsed position and to expand against the fence, whereby the expanding plates grip the workpiece.

4. An apparatus for folding and pressing a workpiece into a garment part or the like, the apparatus comprising in combination: a press bed; a retractable fence located in the bed and, when extended, forming a well in the shape of the part; an upper die means movable toward and away from the bed and engageable with said fence; folders cooperating with said die means and said fence to fold the workpiece; means for moving the bed against the folders and the die means to press the workpiece, and said fence being adapted to retract substantially into the top surface of the bed during the pressing.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said die means comprises plates collapsible in upon one another sufficiently to clear the folded portions of the workpiece and the die means being adapted to descend in a collapsed position against the bed and to expand against the fence to grip the workpiece.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,453,623 11/1948 Gilbert et al. 22338 2,726,020 12/1955 Fenby 22338 3,419,200 12/1968 Aramini 22338 MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner 

